Friday, February 26, 2010

Do I know God? I ask myself the question and it's a silly question. Between me, myself and my intimate allies, it’s a silly question. But I consider the answer I would give someone else and I find myself searching for words to describe a mystical experience.Q. "How do I know I know Him?' A. "Because he lives in me" (A good, true answer in my ears, and true in my heart, yet somehow lacking to someone else's ears I suspect.)A. "Because He caused and causes transformation in my mind, heart and life" (Again true for me, yet it could be written off to any revelation based therapeutic behavioral management model)A. "Because, after asking to be changed, healed, freed, and to have a life from Him, it occurred." (I feel like I'm getting somewhere now, but still missing something somewhere, not airtight somehow)A. "Because I hear His voice clearly. He initiates conversations and responds to my dialogue. He teases me, likes me, cries with me, and laughs with me. He likes it when I tease Him, and creates in me an ability and desire to love that was not evident or part of my nature before I met Him. He compels me to enter into situations contrary to my nature of self preservation. He leads me to freedom from what I am captive of. He heals me of my emotional and psychological wounds by accepting my invitation to come in and show me what ails me so I can ask for healing and freedom. Most importantly, I love Him and living without him would be more heartbreaking than I can imagine, it would be like death, or the lack of life. In all this, He loves me completely and in the midst of every flaw, shortcoming, screw up, or rejecting of Him on my part, I am never ashamed of myself when I'm with Him.I know I know him because His nature and existence is contrary to the way of the world."(that feels better)

John 17 (New International Version)John 17Jesus Prays for Himself 1After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.Jesus Prays for His Disciples 6"I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. 12While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify[b] them by the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.Jesus Prays for All Believers 20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."Footnotes:a. John 17:6 Greek your name; also in verse 26b. John 17:17 Greek hagiazo (set apart for sacred use or make holy also in verse 19

John 17 (The Message)John 17Jesus' Prayer for His Followers 1-5 Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said: Father, it's time. Display the bright splendor of your Son So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor. You put him in charge of everything human So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge. And this is the real and eternal life: That they know you, The one and only true God, And Jesus Christ, whom you sent. I glorified you on earth By completing down to the last detail What you assigned me to do. And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor, The very splendor I had in your presence Before there was a world. 6-12 I spelled out your character in detail To the men and women you gave me. They were yours in the first place; Then you gave them to me, And they have now done what you said. They know now, beyond the shadow of a doubt, That everything you gave me is firsthand from you, For the message you gave me, I gave them; And they took it, and were convinced That I came from you. They believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I'm not praying for the God-rejecting world But for those you gave me, For they are yours by right. Everything mine is yours, and yours mine, And my life is on display in them. For I'm no longer going to be visible in the world; They'll continue in the world While I return to you. Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life That you conferred as a gift through me, So they can be one heart and mind As we are one heart and mind. As long as I was with them, I guarded them In the pursuit of the life you gave through me; I even posted a night watch. And not one of them got away, Except for the rebel bent on destruction (the exception that proved the rule of Scripture). 13-19 Now I'm returning to you. I'm saying these things in the world's hearing So my people can experience My joy completed in them. I gave them your word; The godless world hated them because of it, Because they didn't join the world's ways, Just as I didn't join the world's ways. I'm not asking that you take them out of the world But that you guard them from the Evil One. They are no more defined by the world Than I am defined by the world. Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth; Your word is consecrating truth. In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world. I'm consecrating myself for their sakes So they'll be truth-consecrated in their mission. 20-23 I'm praying not only for them But also for those who will believe in me Because of them and their witness about me. The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me. The same glory you gave me, I gave them, So they'll be as unified and together as we are— I in them and you in me. Then they'll be mature in this oneness, And give the godless world evidence That you've sent me and loved them In the same way you've loved me. 24-26 Father, I want those you gave me To be with me, right where I am, So they can see my glory, the splendor you gave me, Having loved me Long before there ever was a world. Righteous Father, the world has never known you, But I have known you, and these disciples know That you sent me on this mission. I have made your very being known to them— Who you are and what you do— And continue to make it known, So that your love for me Might be in them Exactly as I am in them.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Tease Him?Tell Him a joke? Ask Him to leave you alone for a minute?Let the answering machine get it?Not return His call?Lie to Him?Laugh with Him?Give Him your opinion?Make a suggestion to Him?Comfort Him?Casually thank Him?Encourage Him?Give Him the night off?Do something so He doesn’t have too?Run and let Him chase you? Surprise Him with something?Defend Him?Hold him accountable?Forgive Him?Release Him?Allow Him?Make Him something?Give Him something?Receive something from Him?Just sit quietly with Him?Ask nothing more of Him?Touch him?Kiss Him?Love Him?

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Ok. I post this testimony about crisis a couple weeks ago. Absolutely brilliant! Go ahead! Put a target on your head! Absolutely brilliant…. Anyway, since that post, I’ve had what seem to be innumerable opportunities to practice and access this healing I profess is available. I won’t bore you with the particulars, that’s not my intent here, but I would like to say; that while the trials (life) have been hard moments, and while the adrenaline flows through my body causing my legs to feel weak, and the appropriate anxiety cause me to be on heightened alert, as I look back, I have responded well. I did not; default to anger, blow up relationship, harm others, run away, abuse mind altering substances, go soft, hide or shut down.

Through the grace of God I have managed to remain engaged, default to wisdom rather than emotion, communicate, share, seek advise and council, and perhaps most significant, engage in conflict in health.

So yes, thank you Jesus, You are faithful. I find freedom, healing and life as I walk with you.

Can you imagine having a loved one who refused to be your loved one because they thought they were just not worthy or capable?

Can you imagine the ache your heart would feel if you said, “Its ok, I’m not concerned with your opinion of yourself, please come here.” Only to have them reply something to the effect that they still wanted to have things in order first?

Can you imagine the ache when they refused relationship because they wanted to finish the book about how you worked in history before being your lover?

Can you imagine that person saying, "I don't do enough for you to deserve this kind of desire on your part"